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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · rush · roll · jam · bay · trunk · stock · fan

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rush — hurry
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. content — happy
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. content — the amount
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com